Washing machine with sump pump connection

ABSTRACT

A LAUNDRY WASHING MACHINE HAVING A DRAIN PUMP FOR TRANSFERRING WASTE WATER FROM ITS WASHING CHAMBER TO A LAUNDRY TUB, A SUMP PUMP FOR REMOVING THE WATER FROM THE TUB, AND AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WASHING MACHINE AND THE SUMP PUMP FOR AUTOMATICALLY ENERGIZING THE SUMP PUMP WHENEVER WATER IS BEING TRANSFERRED BY THE DRAIN PUMP.

March 2, 1971 E, A, WILLIS 4 3,566,631

WASHING MACHINE WITH SUMP PUMP CONNECTION Filed Nov. 14, 1968 Sauna: op l6 ELELTRICAL.

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80 W- m 3 DRAW INVENTOR 32 cvcLe EUGENE A.WILLIS 4p crRcurrnv f fan/1e ya 4 law t 4 f United States Patent O 3,566,631 WASHING MACHINE WITH SUMP PUMP CONNECTION Eugene A. Willis, 5832. Lobdell Road, Mayville, Mich. 48744 Filed Nov. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 775,611 Int. Cl. D06f 39/00 US. Cl. 68-208 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A laundry washing machine having a drain pump for transferring waste Water from its washing chamber to a laundry tub, a sump pump for removing the water from the tub, and an electrical connection between the washing machine and the sump pump for automatically energizing the sump pump whenever water is being transferred by the drain pump.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to laundry washing machines, and more specifically to such a machine electrically coupled to a remotely located sump pump such that the sump pump is operated whenever waste Water is being discharged from the machine.

Washing machines are customarily connected to a suitable drain system for the removal of the waste wash water. If the washing machine is at an elevation above its drain facility such as an underground sewer system or a septic tank, the waste water can be transferred from the machine to the drain facility by gravity fiow. However, there are many communities that do not have an underground sewer system so that residential waste water is delivered to a septic tank system located relatively close to the surface of the ground. In such areas, a washing machine located below the drain facility, as in a basement, requires a sump pump to transfer the waste wash water from the machine.

In such a drain system, the waste water is normally delivered from the washing machine to a laundry tub, and a sump pump connected to the tub removes the water from the tub to the drain facility. A problem of such drain systems is in the means for automatically energizing the sump pump whenever wash water is being delivered into the tub. There are several conventional means for energizing such a pump. For instance, some form of fioat switch is often employed which, upon being raised by water in the tub to a predetermined height, energizes the sump pump and then de-energizes it upon being lowered by removal of the water. Another approach is to use a pressure switch for sensing water being passed from the washer to the tub.

The operation of float switches, pressure switches and the like depends on contact with the waste water. Over a period of time their moving parts tend to become fouled with detergent and other waste materials thereby reducing their reliability. In addition such switches fail to keep the sump pump energized a sufficient length of time to remove all the water from the tub.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide means for energizing the sump pump concurrently with the removal of water from the washing machine by ice providing an electrical connection between the electrical circuitry of the machine and the pump. Such a connection automatically energizes and de-energizes the sump pump without any physical contact with the water.

A common feature of the electrical circuitry of conventional washing machines is the provision of a solenoidactuated dumping valve in the machines drain circuit that is opened Whenever waste water is to be discharged. The operation of the dump solenoid is controlled by an electrical timing circuit that opens and closes the dumping valve at appropriate intervals in the cleaning cycle. Normally the timing circuit maintains the dumping valve open for a period of time after the waste water has been entirely drained from the machine.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sump pump is electrically connected to the dumping valve solenoid in such a manner as to be energized whenever the dumping valve is open for the passage of water. The time delay between the complete drainage of water and the closing of the dumping valve provides the sump pump sulficient time to completely drain the laundry tub before being de-energized.

It is contemplated that the invention can take several forms depending on whether the connection is added to an existing machine or forms a built-in part of the washers circuitry. For existing, conventional washing machines, an adapter unit wired to the dump solenoid circuitry, has an electrical plug that is connected to a source of electrical power and an electrical socket engaged with the electrical plug of the sump pump. An electrical relay in the adapter automatically closes to energize the sump pump whenever the dump solenoid is energized to pass water. Similarly, when the dump solenoid is de-energized to close the dumping valve, the relay automatically opens to de-energize the sump pump. A manual switch in the adapter circuitry permits operation of the sump pump independently of the washing machine.

In another form, particularly suited for new machines, the washer has an electrical socket mounted on the machines chassis and connected to the timing circuit. This arrangement eliminates the relay because the sump pump is directly connected into the machines circuitry and is energized from the same electrical circuits as the machine.

In still another form, suitable for a machine having timer contacts that may not be suitable for passing power to the sump pump, the adapter relay can be mounted within the machines chassis with an electrical socket mounted on the chassis for engaging the sump pumps electrical plug. In this version, the sump pump draws on its own source of power at intervals controlled by its connection with the machines timing unit.

Still other advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description refers to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional laundry washing machine disposed such that its waste water is discharged to a laundry tub, and electrically coupled with a sump pump connected to the tubs outlet;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the internal components of a preferred adapter unit;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a preferred electrical circuit for coupling the washer and the sump pump rela FIG. 4 is a view showing a modified washer with a builtin socket for the plug of the sump pump; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic of an electrical circuit in which the sump pump is directly connected to the dump solenoid circuitry.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, a conventional machine for washing laundry is illustrated in FIG. 1 at 10. The washing machine has a conventional washing chamber 12 for holding water, a suitable detergent and the clothes while they are being processed through a cleaning cycle. An electrical drain pump 14, having a dumping valve for removing the waste water, is connected to the outlet of the chamber 12.

The washing machine 10 is installed adjacent a suitable receptacle such as a laundry tub 16, and has a drain conduit 18 connected to the pump 14 for the transfer of waste water from the chamber 12. At a suitable timed interval in the washing cycle, the pump 14 removes the waste water from the chamber 12, and transfers it through the conduit 18 into the laundry tub 16. The washing machine 10 also has a drain cycle circuitry 20 connected to a source of electrical power 22 for energizing the drain pump 14 and its dumping valve.

A sump pump 24 is connected to the outlet of the laundry tub 16, and provides means for transferring water from the tube 16 to a suitable drain facility. An adapter unit 26 provides means for connecting the pump 24 to the source of electrical power 22. The adapter unit 26 comprises a housing 28 for mounting an electrical circuit which includes a female receptacle 30 for receiving a plug 32 of the pump 24, a plug 34 which is engageable with a receptacle 36 to connect the adapter unit to the source of electrical power 22, and a three wire lead 36 which is wired to the washer drain cycle circuitry 20.

Normally-open electrically actuated relay contacts 38 are connected in series between the receptacle 30 and the source of electrical power 22 and are closed upon energizing of a solenoid coil 38A by the drain cycle circuitry 20. The relay 38 has a switch member 40 which is movable between an automatic position in which the relay contacts are automatically closed as the washer drain cycle circuitry 20 is energized, and a manual position in which the relay contacts are open to allow the pump 24 to be energized independently of the washers cycle. In the manual position, the pump 24 can be employed to remove water from the tub 16 without the necessity of energizing the washing machine 10.

In practice, the laundry tub 16 and the sump pump 24 are a conventional installation in homes where the waste Water from the tub must be transferred by a positive pumping means to the drain facility. The washing machine 10 is conventional. The adapter unit 26 is connected between the machine 10 and the pump 24 by inserting the plug 34 into the receptacle 36, inserting electrical plug 41 of the sump pump 24 into the receptacle 30, with the'leads 36 being wired into the washer drain pump circuitry 20 at a suitable point such as in parallel with the dump solenoid.

To eliminate the necessity of special wiring, another form of the invention is shown in FIG. 4 in which a washing machine 100, similar to washing machine 10, has a drain pump and dumping valve 102 for transferring waste wash water from a washing chamber (not shown) through a conduit 104 to the laundry tub 16. An electrical receptacle 106 is mounted on the chassis of machine 100 for receiving plug 41 of the sump pump.

Referring to FIG. 5, the machine 100 has a substantially conventional timing circuit which includes a subcircuit 108 for energizing and de-energizing a dump solenoid 10 to respectively open and close the dumping valve 102. The dump solenoid 110 is energized by timer contacts 112 which are closed in any conventional manner for a predetermined time interval during the cleaning cycle in order to drain the waste water from the machine. The receptacle 106 is connected in parallel with the dump solenoid 110 so that the plug 41 of the sump pump can be connected directly into the drain cycle circuitry of the washing machine 100.

In the circuit of FIG. 5, it can be seen that the sump pump 24 is energized and de-energized whenever the dump solenoid 110 of the washing machine is, respectively, energized and de-energized. Thus the pump 24 is automatically energized to pump water as the washers drain pump commences to pass waste water to tub 16, and remains energized to pass water until the dump solenoid 110 is de-energized, after the wash chamber of the machine is drained. The pump 24 is then automatically de-energized as the dump solenoid is de-energized.

Preferably the timer contacts 112 have a greater capacity than conventional timer contacts in order to carry the current for the sump pump motor as well as the current for the dump solenoid. However, conventional timer contacts could be employed by wiring an adapter relay into the washers circuitry to conform with the circuit of FIG. 3 so that the sump pump 24 is physically connected to an electrical socket mounted on the washers chassis, but electrically connected to its own power source through the adapter relay.

Therefore it is to be understood that I have described a novel electrical coupling between a washing machine and a remotely located sump pump for automatically energizing the sump pump whenever the washing machine is passing waste wash water. The electrical coupling is more reliable than conventional means for energizing the sump pump because it is physically isolated from the water that is being passed, and eliminates any mechanical elements that may tend to become unreliable over a period of time. The adapter unit is relatively economical to manufacture and can be easily attached to conventional existing machines. In its built-in form, the connection between the washer and the sump pump requires a relatively nominal cost to provide a socket mounted on the washers chassis, and wired to the drain cycle timing circuit.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In the combination of a laundry washing machine having a water chamber; a conduit connected to the water chamber for the removal of water therefrom; a receptacle for receiving water removed through the conduit; electrically operated means including a drain cycle circuitry connected to a source of electrical power for automatically passing water from the water chamber through the conduit to the receptacle during a timed interval; an electrical pump, remote with respect to the washing machine, and connected to the receptacle for removing water therefrom; the improvement comprising connector means electrically coupling the electrical pump to the drain cycle circuitry for automatically energizing the electrical pump as said electrically operated means is passing water.

2. The improvement as defined in claim 1, in which said connector means comprises an electrical relay coupling said drain cycle circuitry and the pump.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 1, including a switch in said connector means operable to electrically energize the electrical pump independently of the washing machine.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 1, in which the electrically operated means and the pump have a common connection to the source of electrical power.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 1, in which the electrically operated means and the pump have separate connections to a source of electrical power, and the connector means includes a relay contact operable to electrically couple the electrically operated means and the pump, and a movable switch connected to the relay switch such that in a first position of the switch, the pump is operable to be energized concurrently with the electrically operated means from its source of electrical power, and in a second position of the switch, the pump is operable to be energized through its own connection to the source of electrical power independently of energization of the electrically operated means.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 1, in which the electrically operated means includes a dump solenoid, operable upon being energized to open a connection between the washing chamber and the receptacle for the passage of water, and the connector means includes circuitry connecting the pump in parallel with the dump solenoid such that the pump is energized and de-energized, as the dump solenoid is, respectively, energized and tie-energized.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

